The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 371

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 192

“Yikes, you startled me!”
I jerked away, brushing at my tickled ear with an irritated gesture.
Sa Ma Young seemed to be in an unusually good mood today, grinning widely even as he watched me recoil.
“What are you doing! You can hear me perfectly well from your seat, you know?!”
“I wanted to see Yeo Joo surprised.”
“That’s a terrible sense of humor.”
He was nothing but a child at heart, despite being older than me—poking and prodding me with his pranks.
“And I never said it that way.”
“Said what that way?”
“That you looked cool. I said you stood out. That’s all.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“People don’t usually call attention-seekers cool.”
Oops.
My words had come out harsher than I intended.
An attention-seeker.
Sa Ma Young certainly was one, but I hadn’t meant to say it to his face like that.
I glanced sideways, gauging his reaction.
With his long legs crossed and his body leaning toward me, Sa Ma Young’s expression remained perfectly composed.
“It’s fine. I’m not upset. Actually, I’m in a great mood.”
“You like being called an attention-seeker?”
Was he stranger than I’d thought?
“I worked hard throughout the Guild Cup just to catch Yeo Joo’s attention.”
“Ah.”
I checked Sa Ma Young’s affection level without thinking, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

《 ♥ 87 : Greed
(貪)
》

What’s going on?
When did my favorability rating jump like this?
And the keyword changed too?
…Is this even allowed?
“There’s nothing to be so surprised about.”
Sa Ma Young tilted his head, seemingly unable to understand my speechless reaction.
I felt the need to change the subject.
“…That word ‘attention-seeker’ is an insult, you know. You’re happy to hear it? What’s gotten into you today, Sa Ma Young? You’re different from usual.”
“I’m going to listen better to what Yeo Joo says from now on.”
Then Sa Ma Young’s gaze shifted toward Kang Han, who had just received two bottles of water from the broadcast staff.
“It seems like obedient men are Yeo Joo’s type.”
“That’s not it.”
I could say it with certainty.
“My type is someone handsome and responsible.”
Sa Ma Young let out a soft laugh at my words.
“Then I’ll approach everything with responsibility from now on.”
“Sa Ma Young, people die when they change suddenly. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I won’t die. Even if I die because of Yeo Joo, I’ll come back to life.”
“…Whatever you say.”
Now that his favorability had risen, Sa Ma Young had become even stranger.
It’s really a waste of his looks, such a waste.
“You must be thirsty from the lights. Have some cool water.”
Kang Han returned to my side and twisted the cap off the cold water bottle with his large hand.
Crack.
I blinked at the somewhat ominous sound, and sure enough, Kang Han gently placed the opened bottle in my hand before offering the remaining one to Sa Ma Young.
“You seem to need it to get your head straight.”
Thud.
The water bottle touched Sa Ma Young’s shoulder.
Creak.
Looking at the plastic bottle making a sound as if it might burst any moment, I understood.
Kang Han was pushing Sa Ma Young back, and Sa Ma Young was holding his ground without budging.
Wedged between two men with massive builds, I couldn’t move an inch, and if the bottle gave way, I’d be drenched.
“What is this, what is this?”
“Is this some kind of love triangle?”
Moreover, several audience members sitting right in front of the stage were watching with bright, curious eyes.
“Ugh, I can’t breathe.”
I stood up from my seat, holding the water Kang Han had given me.
There was still time before the commercial break ended.
After gulping down the cool water, I turned my back on the two men still engaged in their childish power struggle and left the stage.

* * *

“I’m exhausted, so exhausted.”
After sprinting through three Gate raids, my weary body and mind seemed to awaken slightly under the cool water flowing from the sink.
I wanted to splash water on my face too, but since I was wearing makeup today, I had to settle for washing my hands.
Just then, Yoo Myung Hwa, who had come in to wash her hands just like me, spoke with a smile from beside me.
“Love triangles are always exhausting, you know.”
“…Even you, Hunter Yoo Myung Hwa, are going to say that?”
“Looks like both of them are making their moves now. They held back for long enough.”
While I felt like I was aging in real time, Yoo Myung Hwa seemed to be enjoying herself.
“Which one is more your type? Just tell me.”
“Type? I don’t have time for romance. It’s just annoying.”
“Not interested at all?”
“No.”
“Then what about running away to Dongbaek? I can keep those two pests from even getting close.”
It sounded like a joke, but Yoo Myung Hwa’s eyes were serious.
I looked up at those cool eyes for a moment, then slowly reached out my hand.
My target was Yoo Myung Hwa’s cheek, smooth as porcelain.
“It’s been bothering me since earlier.”
I carefully removed a long, black eyelash from her cheek with my fingertip and answered softly.
“I don’t want to go to Dongbaek because I think it would just get more complicated.”
“…Ha.”
Yoo Myung Hwa laughed a bit helplessly and murmured.
“You’re perceptive. I should have brought you when you didn’t know anything.”
She seemed to mean right after I awakened as a Healer.
But I’m a Possessor.
There was no time when I “didn’t know anything.”
“Even if I went back to the past, I wouldn’t go to Dongbaek.”
“Why? I feel like my feelings might get hurt.”
“I don’t mean it badly.”
I shrugged.
“It’s just that Dongbaek doesn’t need my help, so I won’t go.”
Yoo Myung Hwa is an outstanding Hunter and Guild Master.

[ Yoo Myung Hwa S
…
Abnormal Status – Dark Addiction 83% ]

Despite the high addiction rate that must be affecting her condition, she was skilled enough to hide it so no one would notice.

[ Using skill ‘Dark Purification’. ]
[ Dark Purification successful! ]
[ Current target’s dark addiction rate: 30% ]

As I activated the remote purification skill, Yoo Myung Hwa’s eyes blinked slowly once.
“…Do truly skilled healers have the ability to put people’s minds at ease as well?”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to experience the strange sensation that Kang Han had felt.
Judging by how she said it felt “comfortable.”
“I am rather exceptional at what I do, yes.”
At least I’d managed to prevent Yoo Myung Hwa from going berserk during the semifinals.

* * *

Unlike Part 1, which had proceeded in a rather harmonious manner, Part 2 unfortunately did not.
“You’ve matched the weakest team against the strongest team, and the results are truly fascinating!”
The host had every reason to be excited.
The strongest team naturally chose their own guilds, so their transparent intentions only drew laughter rather than controversy.
But the voting results for the weakest team were different.

[ Justice Guild: 2 votes, Fantasia Guild: 2 votes ]

The Gong Gil Yeon Alliance voted entirely for Justice Guild as the weakest team, while the Jung Dong Alliance voted the opposite way for Fantasia Guild.
“First, let’s hear from the two guild masters who selected Fantasia as the weakest guild!”
“The stamina issue is the biggest factor. After all, they’re all magic-type hunters, aren’t they?”
Yoo Myung Hwa spoke toward Sung Ro Sa with a smile that I found rather irritating.
“Dongbaek Guild Master chose Fantasia hunters’ stamina as the reason. Kang Han Guild Master, what are your thoughts?”
“I selected Fantasia as the weakest for the same reason. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have been a major issue, but given the Guild Cup’s constraint of only five participants, if even one member retires during the match, it creates a significant gap in combat strength.”
As Kang Han calmly mentioned “retire,” I noticed a slight crack forming in the subtle smile Sung Ro Sa wore like a mask.
After all, the reason Fantasia nearly lost in the quarterfinals was because one of the five members suffered a serious injury during the match and had to be carried out of the Gate.
“Additionally, I considered their relatively lacking mobility. In the semifinals, where rapid decisive victories are likely, unless Fantasia’s magic-type hunters resolve their slow movement speed, they’ll inevitably fall behind.”
“Justice Guild and Dongbaek Guild have explained their reasons for selecting Fantasia as the weakest. What are your thoughts, Sung Ro Sa Guild Master?”
“Well.”
If he were acting true to his nature, curses would be flying freely by now.
But Sung Ro Sa, currently maintaining his “beautiful and sacred” image during the live broadcast, answered with a gentle smile as if troubled.
“It seems Justice Guild and Dongbaek Guild simply haven’t considered the existence of items due to their financial constraints. Both stamina and movement speed can be supplemented with quality equipment.”
“Ooh!”
The audience members who appeared to be Fantasia supporters cheered at this cutting remark.
Sung Ro Sa smiled at them and naturally proceeded to explain why he considered Justice Guild the weakest.
“Unfortunately, Justice Guild entered the Guild Cup as a wild card from the start. They’ve shown good performance recently and made it to the semifinals, but… I don’t think a championship is within reach.”
“Do you agree with this assessment, Sa Ma Young Guild Master?”
When the floor opened for him to speak, Sa Ma Young turned to look at me once before opening his mouth with his characteristic leisurely demeanor.
“The Justice Guild has been fortunate thus far. However, I’m uncertain whether that fortune will continue to favor you.”
He was referring to Kang Han’s re-awakening at the peak of the iceberg in the Round of 16, and my discovery of the secret Storage Warehouse in the quarterfinals.
To think he considered that mere ‘luck’.
Sa Ma Young still had much to learn.
After a few more exchanges that similarly provoked the ‘Gong Gil Yeon versus Jung Dong Alliance’ dynamic, another commercial break passed, and finally the main event began.
“Now, the next order of business! At last! The matchup draw that so many of our viewers have been eagerly awaiting!”
As the host spoke, the words ‘Group A’ and ‘Group B’ appeared on the screen behind the stage.
“The Gates that each group will enter will be revealed after the bracket is finalized!”
Four transparent boxes containing round capsules rose onto the stage.
“Guild Masters, please come forward and draw one capsule each!”
Following the rules we’d been briefed on beforehand, Sung Ro Sa reached into the box first.
It was because his Gate clear record was the lowest.
“What a thrilling moment! And Fantasia is assigned to… Group A!”
As Sung Ro Sa withdrew a capsule with ‘A’ written in large letters and showed it to the camera, Fantasia’s symbol was stamped onto the Group A slot on the screen with a satisfying seal effect.
Next came the turn of the Dongbaek Guild.
The moment Yoo Myung Hwa’s hand entered the box, she withdrew a capsule without hesitation.
And inside it was…
“Group A! A matchup between Fantasia and the Dongbaek Guild has been set!”
The remaining two guilds didn’t even need to draw.
“Naturally, the Justice Guild and the Sama Guild will face off in Group B!”
Listening to the host’s resounding voice, my eyes met with Sa Ma Young’s sitting beside me.
Seeing his red lips curve into a silent smile, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Of all people, Sa Ma Young.’
I’d ended up facing the most troublesome opponent I’d hoped to meet only in the finals—now in the semifinals.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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